Vow to pull down camping barn
STEPHEN PULLINGER
22 August 2006 07:45
It was opened with the personal blessing of Prince Charles as a pioneering venture in green tourism on the Broads.
But after a harrowing Saturday night when his idyllic camping barn was taken over for an illegal rave, with 1,000 party goers descending on the quiet village of Halvergate, near Yarmouth, farmer Robert More has vowed to demolish it to prevent any re-occurrence.
At the event’s height, music levels were so loud that a thumping beat resounded across the marshes to Acle and South Walsham as well as Halvergate.
Road blocks set up by police failed to stem the arrival of revellers and in one incident, Sgt James Heath was slightly injured in a collision involving a vehicle that ended up in a ditch.
Father-of-two Mr More, whose family has farmed Manor Farm for 300 years, believed he had hired out the barn, normally used by ramblers and groups such as cubs, for a small birthday party.
Still clearing up mess yesterday ranging from broken bottles and beer cans to human excrement, Mr More, 52, found himself criticised by a police chief, and was left even more mortified in his position as chairman of the parish council.
He said: “Villagers are looking for someone to blame. I did not organise the party but I have huge sympathy for those affected.
“The effect of what amounts to a huge invasion of our privacy and property by a badly-behaved mob has been devastating.”
Mr More had thought about 20 young people would be attending and only realised what was happening when a local police officer rang him to say that Suffolk Police had received reports of a rave being organised.
He said the party organiser from South Norfolk – who joined police at the barricades – claimed his private event had somehow been taken over, and he did not know the vast majority of those turning up.
Mr More said: “The party goers, in their teens and early 20s, parked back in the village and walked to the site. It started en masse at about 8.30pm and police had no choice but to let it take its course.”
He said he could not sleep at all for worrying about drunken youngsters wandering around the village causing vandalism.
“When I went to the barn around lunchtime on Sunday there were still several hundred there, a lot of them drunk.
“They had left a large amount of cans, broken bottles and bottle tops, all stuff that could kill the cattle and sheep grazing outside,” he said.
A trail of litter extended from the Marsh Road site into Halvergate, and crops had been damaged and driven through.
Mr More, who has spent thousands of pounds on the barn’s upkeep, and battled vandalism by local youngsters, said he had viewed it as a service for the community rather than a business.
Prince Charles had sent his personal good wishes when it had been opened in 1990, and up to 500 people had enjoyed staying there each year.
The only previous problems had come with a noisy event about a month ago, and ironically, Mr More said he had already decided against taking similar party bookings after this one.
Supt Jim Smerdon warned other landowners to beware of allowing their premises to be used for what appeared to be small, private parties.
It was necessary to pay heed to regulations regarding fire, licensing and environmental health.
Mr More has pledged to organise a public meeting in Halvergate to discuss the issues and try to prevent any further such illegal parties.
In response to raves all over the county, including regular events in Thetford Forest, police have set up a partnership with councils and such agencies as the Forestry Commission to try to curb them.
